


Supergirl: Spirit of the Season

by SyrenCallista



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fun, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 12:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13166703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyrenCallista/pseuds/SyrenCallista
Summary: A blizzard hits National City on Christmas Eve. Lena Luthor reaches out to Kara Danvers to enlist the aid of Supergirl in a desperate mission: to save L-Corp's delivery of presents to the patients of National City General hospital. Together, Lena and Supergirl bring holiday magic to the hospital, and find a little themselves.





	Supergirl: Spirit of the Season

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes someplace in Season 2 of Supergirl. It is inspired by the world and characters created by the show, and I hope it brings a smile to your face.

Christmas Eve – National City

              The city had spent the entire Christmas week under a blizzard warning with jittery meteorologists imploring the citizenry to prepare to hunker down for the storm. Despite their fervent warnings there could be no real way that the threat of a deluge of snow would prevent the people of National City from going out on Christmas Eve. The pressing need to finish the last bits of their preparations outweighed caution and helped them justify venturing out into the treacherous weather. By early morning hours the snow was falling steadily, and the ground was already cold enough for it to stick. Brisk, persistent winds kept the snow blowing, swirling, and at times was enough to create whiteout conditions. When seen from above National City looked like a real live snow globe.

              On the streets downtown families bravely trudged through the gathering snow, clutching stuffed shopping bags filled with last minute purchases. The children seemed immune to the cold, lost in the magical quality of the falling snow, and led along by parents eager to seek refuge in the warmth of the stores. Every now and then the rumble of a passing train or the scrape of snowplows cut through the sounds of Christmas music blaring from speakers hidden in snow-covered planters that added to the overall festiveness of the day and seemed to add warmth to the otherwise frigid air.

              As the pedestrians traversed the snowy sidewalks some were forced to huddle together to await their opportunity to cross the surprisingly busy streets. Just as the shoppers were undeterred by the weather, so too were the drivers. At a busy intersection just as the lights were changing, a careless driver in an SUV hit the gas in order to make a quick left turn and beat the light. The maneuver was reckless in the slippery, snow-coated roads and it started a chain reaction of squealing tires and red brake lights. The driver of a white box truck, a second late in perceiving the hazard, slammed his brakes, but the vehicle was moving too fast and was far too heavy to avoid hitting the turning SUV.

              The impact of the collision was loud, the sound cutting through everything else. Hit with such force in the back half, the rear-end of the SUV spun around and the force propelled it towards the mass of pedestrians waiting on the corner to cross the street. Everything happened so fast: the turn, the squeal of brakes, the smash of the collision, a moment for screams to start as the car spun towards them, and then a louder, yet different crash.

              A brilliant red, blue, and gold streak cut through the screaming blizzard and collided with the careening SUV mere feet from where it would have plowed into the pedestrians. As the sound still reverberated in their ears, the source of their rescue became clear: Supergirl. Her brilliant red cape rippled with the momentum of the air that she displaced with her nick-of-time arrival. With her arms outstretched she had ‘caught’ the SUV, stopping its momentum with her body with a jarring suddenness. The passenger side of the car was certain to give a body shop fits, but that was someone else’s problem.

              The cheer that arose from the crowd replaced the screams just as fast as they had begun, and Supergirl threw a look over her shoulder to ascertain that everyone was okay. A quick glance through the car with her X-ray vision had already revealed to her that the driver of the SUV was shaken but fine.

              “Merry Christmas, everyone!  Get inside before you get frostbite,” Supergirl cautioned as she used her shoulder to nudge the SUV around, pushing it to the curb lane where it would obstruct the least amount of traffic. And then she leapt into the air again, her body briefly slicing through the falling snow before it began to swirl in again. Her boots had only been on the ground for a few seconds.

              _‘I don’t think even you are going to defeat the last minute shoppers, Kara’_ her sister’s voice entered her ear, crystal clear through the receiver even over the rush of air as she ascended into the snow-filled skies.

              “You know there’s not always some heroic thing to say _every_ time,” Kara scoffed in reply as she gained altitude so that she could get a better vantage point on the city below, eyes and ears seeking out more things that could require her intervention.

              ‘ _Your cousin alw…_ ’ Alex began, almost gleeful in the tease.

              “Don’t you dare finish that!” Kara cut her off warningly. There was no true competition between herself and her cousin, but it also never failed to make her roll her eyes as others fawned over him.

              ‘ _If you two are done,’_  a new voice cut in, the tone of J’Onn J’onzz as no-nonsense as ever, cutting through the sisters’ banter with ease, ‘ _Supergirl, the runways are closed at National City International but an international flight is making an emergency landing due to.._ ’

              “I’m on it!” Kara’s voice interrupted him. As he was speaking she had looked west towards the airport, focusing hard to find circling airliners waiting for the weather to clear to allow for safer landings. The lone descending jet on final approach stood out. She traced its glide path and saw while the runway had been cleared, there still a considerable buildup of ice.

              Supergirl raised both fists in front of her and burst into motion, easily accelerating faster than most flight capable craft could ever manage. Despite her speed the plane was already moments from touching down and she realized that it would be too risky to try to melt the ice with her heat vision: too hot, too fast and it risked cracking the ground and making the situation even worse. She contented herself to pace the plane as its landing gear touched down, and the plane’s engines roared as they reversed. Above that roar of the engines, her earpiece began to chime in a very deliberate fashion: Kara Danvers’ cellphone. Worse? The ringtone was unique and it immediately raised goosebumps on her arm.

              “Lena? Hey! Is everything okay?” she asked concernedly, immediately going to a place of worry.

              “You know I don’t just call if something is wrong. And forget me, are _you_ all right? You sound like you’re standing on a helipad,” Lena Luthor’s rich voice flowed into Kara’s ear, a little louder than normal as the woman felt compelled to speak up over the immense feedback she was hearing on her end.

              Kara winced as she realized there was no way for her to filter out that noise, and it wasn’t like she could just dart away for a few minutes to talk. In just the moment of answering the phone she’d started to lose a little ground on the plane as it raced down the runway, engines and brakes fighting against the icy tarmac.

              “Oh I’m fine, I’m downtown just finishing shopping,” Kara lied, making a face as it both sounded stupid and pained her to do. “The wind is crazy… they weren’t kidding about the blizzard,” she added lamely.

              “Funny you mention that, that’s actually why I’m calling,” Lena replied, and now it was her turn to sound a bit pained. “I really hate to impose on you, Kara, but is there _any_ way you can contact Supergirl? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, I just need her help with something.”

              Kara felt her heart start to race faster, but before she could reply a new sound interrupted her. The plane’s wheels began to skid on a particularly thick patch of ice and immediately it began to slide from its straight path, dangerously close to exiting the runway. Instinctively she threw on a burst of speed and nimbly beneath the plane, reached its far side, and placed her hands on its nose, nudging it back on course.

              “Kara? Is everything all right?” Lena’s concerned voice came again.

              “Oh! Lena I’m sorry, the plows are just going down the street and this car almost got hit, I’m sorry,” the Kryptonian tried to cover. “You said you needed Supergirl’s help? Of course I can try to reach her….um, what did you need her help with?” she asked, fighting to keep her voice level, even as she carefully moved to the front of the plane. With it safely back on a straight path she swung her body around so that she was flying into it.

              Anyone watching Supergirl’s rescue would think that she made it look easy; it was anything but. She had to perfectly match its speed, in effect flying backwards, and only then could she carefully start to resist it, adding just a miniscule amount of her strength to help it slow down: too much and she’d crush the fragile nosecone or worse put her hands straight through it. But even distracted by Lena’s call, Kara had this, already feeling the plane start to slow.

              “The plows drive like idiots more often than not,” Lena agreed, apparently buying into Kara’s excuse for the noise. “L-Corp delivers toys and presents to National City General on Christmas Eve,” she began to explain the problem, “But the truck is delayed by the weather. The highways are at a standstill and I’m afraid that it won’t get here until tomorrow. I know it doesn’t sound like a crisis, but…”

              Kara’s eyes widened a little bit. With the plane now slowed enough that she was assured that it could stop on its own she peeled off and began to pace it again, and this time she allowed a bit more distance between it and herself to cut down on the noise.

              “It’s bad enough that some kids have to spend Christmas in the hospital. If that truck can help brighten it up even a little bit for them? I know Supergirl would be able to help with that. Tell me where the truck is and I’ll try to reach her.”

              “Once again you’re my hero, Kara Danvers,” Lena’s voice rang in her ears.

              The plane safely slowed down to a controlled taxi, Supergirl soared back into the sky, her next mission clear.

 

* * *

 

 

              With Lena Luthor’s directions, Supergirl found the L-Corp truck easily, stuck in standstill traffic more than a hundred miles away. As she looked down on the cars lined up bumper to bumper as far as even she could see, she knew that Lena’s worries were not unfounded. A cursory inspection of the truck revealed it to be crammed full of beautifully wrapped presents of all shapes and sizes. The look on the truck driver’s face when was suddenly floating outside of his window was priceless. She could only imagine the looks on other people’s faces when she flew beneath the trailer and lifted it on her back, floating up through the air like some modernist revision of Santa’s sleigh.

              The flight to retrieve the fully loaded trailer of gifts had been quick. The return flight to National City took a little longer as Kara didn’t want to risk dropping it or unnecessarily jostling the gifts inside. On the way back she had called Alex, who had in turn reached out to Maggie Sawyer. By the time Supergirl was on the final to National City General Hospital, police vehicles were on scene to keep traffic back, allowing space for her to place the trailer down directly in front of the hospital. As she began to land Kara could see a contingent of people, presumably L-Corp volunteers, shivering in the cold awaiting her arrival. As they all braved the blowing snow and relentless winds, Kara’s eyes found the tall, beautiful, dark haired woman waiting right alongside them as Lena Luthor stood ready to lead the effort.

              The moment she set the trailer down the L-Corp staff went to work and Supergirl stepped aside to not be in their way.

              “Lena… this is incredible,” Supergirl told the woman, appreciation in her eyes and her voice as her hands went to her hips as she took a moment to marvel at the scope of the effort.

              “This wouldn’t have worked without you,” Lena replied, the admiration more than mutual. Far less reserved than the heroine, Lena stepped right up to her and wrapped Supergirl in a tight hug. It caught her off guard and the surprise shown in her eyes, but it didn’t stop her from returning the embrace, squeezing Lena right back, the snow framing their hug like a forever Hallmark moment. The rapid click of the shutter on a photographer’s camera made Supergirl disengage first, though with a little bit of reluctance.

              “I forgot how warm you are,” Lena remarked as they separated, and she shook her head as she appreciated once more the marvel that the Kryptonian truly was.

              Those words made Kara very aware of a slight flush building in her cheeks. And as she stood there in brief silence trying to come up with the perfect thing to say, she found herself just staring for a moment at the other woman. Lena’s perfectly done hair sat still in fierce defiant of the gusting wind even though it couldn’t do anything to ward off the snowflakes that came to rest upon it, further testament to the cold that they didn’t immediately melt. Likewise, her long, dark coat was ever stylish and yet ill-suited to keep the woman truly warm in these conditions. Completely immune to the weather, concern furrowed Kara’s brow as she realized that despite her brave face Lena wasn’t dressed to be outdoors for long.

              “Let’s get you inside, we don’t want you ending up a patient here before the truck is unpacked,” Kara encouraged her, motioning the woman towards the warmth promised inside the hospital proper. “Why don’t you organize inside here and I’ll help them unload?” she suggested.

              “I’m fine, I promise. It’ll go faster if we all help and then we can get them to their recipients. You’ll stay and deliver them with us, won’t you? Presents are one thing, but meeting Supergirl?” Lena didn’t finish with words, the suggestion clear enough.

              Kara started to protest instinctively. This was Lena’s effort, her idea, her generosity and her people fulfilling the effort. She didn’t want to risk stealing their thunder, and yet at the same time she found the offer harder to resist than she anticipated.

              “Are you sure?” Kara had to make absolutely certain.

              “I insist,” Lena pounced on the opportunity to seal the deal before the Girl of Steel could find a reason to talk her way out of it.

              The matter decided, Supergirl joined in the work to unload the truck to get the gifts out of the cold and the snow and into a staging area of the lobby. Everyone but her was nearly frozen by the time they got everything inside, but despite her best efforts she couldn’t talk Lena inside until the job was done.

              “I’m surprised there aren’t more cameras here,” Kara noted as she stood with her arms crossed against the crest of the House of El, the reporter in her having noted the absence of her media peers. “This is something amazing that you’re doing, the city should know about it.”

              Lena dismissed that idea with a quick shake of her head which also served the dual purpose of dislodging the last of the lingering snow in her hair.

              “Oh no, I tried deliberately to keep this low profile. It’s not about publicity. Christmas time was never special for my family, but that doesn’t really say anything. This building is full of people who would probably much rather be somewhere else, and if this brings them a little smile?”

              Kara couldn’t help but to smile as she listened to Lena and the altruism demonstrated in her actions. She couldn’t argue with the sentiment, so she didn’t and instead contented herself to know that the cellphones that had been busily capturing images of her since her arrival was doubtlessly already flooding social media. Lena didn’t have to arrange any type of special publicity, but she would earn it nonetheless with her selflessness.

              Once everyone had had a chance to warm up inside to the point of at least being able to feel their fingers and toes again, it was time to begin the distribution of the gifts throughout the hospital. Lena had thought of everything and there were plentiful rolling carts on hand to aid in the effort. What was more, her volunteers shed their outerwear and each was dressed in Christmas sweaters and either Santa or elf hats, further adorned with jingle bell necklaces to herald their arrival through the halls.

              “Where did you want to start?” Kara asked Lena as she secured one for herself.

              “Well, since we don’t know how long we have you, why don’t we start on the children’s floors?” was Lena’s suggestion, and once more Kara couldn’t argue with her. Each with a cart of their own, Lena and Supergirl had an elevator to themselves as they headed up several stories to the children’s floors, to be met there by more helpers.

              The unannounced visit and arrival of carts filled with perfectly wrapped presents garnered audible, surprised reactions from the nursing staff and from families and patients who weren’t confined to their rooms. Any jaws yet to be dropped were handled by sight of Supergirl herself. She received the type of reaction so often associated with the celebrity status of actors, actresses, royalty, dignitaries and the like. In her time as the protector of National City, so many of Kara’s interactions with the citizenry came during times of crisis: crimes, disasters, fanatical terrorist attacks, rampaging aliens. It was not uncommon to see her flying over the city and she was, of course, covered extensively in the media. But getting to see her in a setting like this? That so rarely happened.

              Kara had every intention of staying back to allow Lena and the L-Corp volunteers to work their magic. And then her eyes met those of a little boy lying on a hospital bed with his leg elevated in a cast. She saw his reaction and in that very moment she could briefly see herself through them. Recently Kara Zor-El had come to a better understanding with herself that Supergirl was what she could do, but Kara was who she was. It was an essential truth for her to know and key to the balance that she constantly struggled to have in her life. But this both reminded her and made her reevaluate just who and what Supergirl could be to the world and to the people in it, and it had nothing to do with averting a disaster.

              That little boy was the first of countless hugs that she would give that afternoon. Together Kara and Lena visited each and every occupied room in the hospital, and took time with each patient and family member that would have them. Everyone was given presents, hugs, selfies, and regular pictures if they wanted. Lena didn’t complain once about acting as Supergirl’s photographer and there was not a moment’s discussion of what their holiday mission had evolved to. There was no mention of time and all the two of them knew of it was that the sun had been out when this began, and as they were coming to the last few rooms it had long since set.

              Lena had dismissed her volunteers earlier so that they could get home to their families and dinners, with the promise that she and Supergirl would ensure that the last of the presents were distributed.

              “I think this is the last room,” Lena noted as they came to the end of the floor housing patients recovering from surgery. There was a small bit of wariness in her voice, absolutely to be expected from the hours of work that she had just completed. The cart that Supergirl pushed behind her had plenty of presents still, as Lena had wisely planned to have more than necessary rather than risk running out.

              Supergirl too seemed a bit tired, though the exhaustion she felt was completely emotional. They didn’t talk about it now, they might later, or they might never, but both she and Lena had been incredibly humbled by what the day had brought them.

              One of them ran an immense, multinational company, adopted into wealth, power, and infamy that she’d worked so hard to overcome. She had levels of staff to have orchestrated this event and countless others with keystroke, the money expense so minimal that it’d be lost in an end of year line item so small that it’d be assumed that it was a clerical error. The other was an alien, orphaned and sent to a new world to live and to thrive, which she now dedicated her life to protecting. Earlier that day she had saved lives of holiday shoppers and travelers, weeks ago she had prevented a spacecraft from carrying innocent aliens and her sister to another part of the galaxy.  Who would ever have thought that a Luthor and a ‘Super’ would spend Christmas Eve together delivering the simple holiday magic of a present and a hug where it was least expected?

              “You should feel so proud of what you did today, Lena. You made so many people happy today, you touched so many lives by just doing something nice,” Kara told her. “I can still hear people talking about it all over the hospital. There are a few remote broadcasts set up outside too so you’re going to have to go out the back if you don’t want to talk with them. But you did it!” Kara gushed, her admiration so plainly open for the woman’s selfless actions today.

              Lena stared at Supergirl for a moment, her piercing green eyes studying the other woman. The heroine was ever a mystery to her, a puzzling enigma despite being so completely open in so many ways. The young alien woman’s humanity shown through with her actions large and small, and seemed to have a heart large enough to put others to shame, and yet here she was, crediting Lena with the success of the day. Yes, the presents helped, but it wasn’t going to be the presents that people talked about days and months later. It was going to be about the day they met Supergirl.

              “ _We_ did it,” Lena corrected her, and then knocked on the partially open door to the last room before Supergirl tried to downplay herself any further.

              “Come in?” a soft woman’s voice replied from inside.

              Lena nudged the door open and revealed a standard recovery room that was very different from the others they had seen today. A small, foot-high illuminated Christmas tree was tucked in the far corner of the room, where its multicolored lights bathed that corner in a warm glow. The one window that provided the decidedly unexciting view of the wing of the hospital was framed by more Christmas lights, carefully secured with double-sided tape.

              A young woman who appeared to be a few years younger than Lena and Kara laid on the bed, an IV line and monitors attached to one hand an arm. She looked tired and her eyes held a bit of that glaze that happens when the anesthesia hasn’t completely worked its way out of the body. Her other hand was held by another young woman who wore the justifiable concern of a girlfriend mixed with the curiosity of receiving unexpected visitors.

              Lena had entered carefully, mindful to not make too much of a commotion in fear of disturbing the woozy patient. Supergirl by comparison entered fast enough that her cape made a faint slap against the frame of the door and her face absolutely lit up as she took in the decorations that had been so thoughtfully placed.

              “Wow! This is easily the best decorated room that we’ve seen all day!” she enthused. “Your decorations are amazing,” she told the seated woman. “And I love your hair! The color is _perfect_ ,” she went on, taking immediate note of the blue-hued undercut and noting that the color was very close to her suit’s own.

              “Katie, why is the nurse dressed like Supergirl?” asked the woman on the bed, her voice clear and strong despite clearly still being a little bit out of it as it were as she regarded the two women who’d just entered bearing gifts.

              “Ummmmm…..,” Katie answered hesitantly as she too looked at Lena and Supergirl as if expecting the punchline of a joke to be swiftly forthcoming. “She’s not the nurse, Jess. I think she’s actually Supergirl.”

              “She is, I promise you,” Lena laughed as she moved back into the doorway to wheel the cart partway in. “It looks like you managed to beat us in bringing some Christmas, but we brought some presents to add to it,” she explained as she started to pick out a few boxes.

              “ _She_ brought them,” Supergirl quickly interjected. “The presents are from Lena Luthor, I’m just helping with delivery,” she clarified, nimbly nudging the spotlight back. She walked to the bed and smiled down at the woman now known as Jess. “How are you feeling, Jess?” she asked, and her eyes darted to Katie for a moment to make certain that she had the names right; a wide-eyed nod of confirmation received in return.

              “I’m fine, just a little thirsty. You’re sure you’re not the nurse? If you’re not, can I have some water?” Jess pressed Supergirl, the post anesthesia haze much more evident now, but it only served to earn a radiant smile from the heroine.

              “Jess, she’s not the nurse, she _really_ is Supergirl,” Katie told her girlfriend, and laughed a little bit. “I’m sorry, she’s still really out of it. She just had an emergency appendectomy. We were on our way to her family’s house, she started to not feel well, and here we are. I guessed we might be here for a while, so,” she motioned to the decorations, “I grabbed them on our way out the door.”

              “That was quick thinking of you,” Lena complimented as she selected several boxes and arranged them around the small tree. “And of all days to be stuck inside you two lucked onto a good one.” She considered the arrangement, made a small adjustment, and only once satisfied that they looked just so, straightened and joined Supergirl at Jess’ bedside.

              Jess looked up at the smiling face of Supergirl, the thoughtful look of Lena, and then to the other side of the bed and the reassuring presence of Katie. The day clearly hadn’t gone as they had planned, and meeting two of the most famous women in National City an hour after emergency surgery was just icing on the cake. She looked back to Supergirl and Lena and considered the two of them for another moment.

              “Are you two together?” she asked them.

              Kara’s eyes widened in astonishment at that question and she laughed that sort of laugh one does when they hear something unexpected and crazy. She quickly shook her head, and was saved from having to answer by Katie:

              “Jess!” Katie, who had pulled out her cellphone to snap a quick picture of her Supergirl and Lena Luthor at her girlfriend’s bedside so that she could prove that this actually happened, had apologetic eyes for the pair of visitors. “I’m really sorry. They said she was going to be a little loopy for a while. Sorry,” she added once more for good measure.

              “Please, there’s nothing to say sorry for,” Lena waved off any notion of offense, even as her eyes seemed to nearly twinkle at Supergirl’s reaction. “I’m lucky enough to be able to call Supergirl a friend, Jess. She helped make this all possible today,” Lena went on, and her perfectly painted red lips gave way to equally perfect teeth as she seemed to greatly enjoy how flustered the Girl of Steel had become.

               “I’m sorry that your Christmas Eve ended up being in the hospital, Jess, but at least you have wonderful company. And you’ll probably be on your way home tomorrow,” Kara tried to put as bright a spin as possible on the otherwise regrettable holiday detour to the emergency room. She was also more than eager to change the subject and momentarily busied herself with appreciating the decorations once more. When she finished she moved to stand next to Lena, now at the foot of the bed, recovered enough to once more flash that radiant smile. “Can we do anything else for you two before we go?” she asked.

              Having crammed her phone full of images of Lena and Supergirl making an unexpected room visit, Katie could only shake her head, still processing the surreal scene. It was Jess, fighting the post-op haze that answered:

              “Katie if they’re not together why are they standing under mistletoe?”

              Two pairs of eyes, green and blue, widened in tandem and looked up at the ceiling. And sure enough they were standing beneath a ball of mistletoe that had been secured to the ceiling by double-sided tape. It was one of several clumps of the leafy green vine that dotted the ceiling, with the biggest cluster centered over the hospital bed.

              “Because I put them there and they didn’t know!” Katie answered, her voice somehow managing to be both exasperated and filled with mirth at the same time. “It’s for _us_ , Jess,” she added, trying to be as explicit as possible to minimize any further confusion for Jess.

              Kara swallowed her heart back down from the place in her throat where it had seemingly leapt up into. She laughed because she didn’t know what else to do, eager to play off that insinuation and do her best to ignore the contemplative look that Lena now had focused on her.

              “Did you want to take a few pictures so Jess doesn’t think she imagined us visiting?” Kara asked Katie and then got permission from Jess herself, which led to a series of pictures being taken. The woman’s real nurse arrived part way through and took a few shots of all four women together. The last picture was of Supergirl and Jess’ nurse together, secret ammunition for Katie to use later. It was then finally time for them to leave.

              “Merry Christmas to you both, and feel better soon!” were Kara’s last words to the pair as she and Lena exited out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind them. Lena left the rest of the presents at the nurse’s station for those whose shifts began on Christmas Day, and with their carts finally empty they took the elevator back down to the main floor. Cautioned by Supergirl’s earlier warning they proceeded out of the hospital through the emergency room rather than the main entrance. Together they stepped out into the cold once more. The snow had finally slowed but had left inches on the ground making the city a true winter wonderland.

              “Do you have somewhere to be tonight?” Kara asked Lena as they stood outside.

              “I have a little work to finish at the office before…”

              “But it’s Christmas Eve and you’ve done more than enough,” Kara interrupted.

              “And you? From the airport to here, you’ve worked all day too,” Lena countered.

              The stalemate was clear here, each woman stubborn in their own unique way. Kara could afford to stand in the freezing weather to see who would blink first, but she was aware of how unfair that would be. Already she could see the small, involuntary shivers threatening Lena’s otherwise formidable stare.

              “At least let me fly you to L-Corp?” Kara relented.

              There was a brief moment that Kara feared that Lena was going to refuse the offer, but even stubbornness had a freezing point.

              “If it isn’t too far out of your way,” Lena answered and allowed a small smile to touch her lips, “I’d be a fool to refuse.”

              Kara smiled gently in return and nodded her head. She walked up to the woman, hesitated a moment, and then gently stepped around her. Kara carefully wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist from behind, tightening her grip just enough to be snug through Lena’s coat.      

              “Just put your hands on my,” Kara began, but Lena had already laid her hands atop the strong arms that encircled her body and pressed back so that the line of her body was against Kara’s. Despite the cold and even through the layers of their clothing, Lena could feel the warmth emanating from Kara and knew that she wouldn’t freeze on the flight.

              Kara lifted them into the air so gently that Lena saw their movement before actually feeling it. They floated up into the night sky so smoothly, and in Kara’s arms, pressed against her body, Lena felt weightless, like for these brief moments she too could completely defy gravity. Even as the air got colder as they ascended, Kara’s body behind hers shielded her from the worst of it, her warmth enveloped her as snugly as her very best blanket. At some point the sounds of the city below died away and left Lena with only the whistle of the air and the rustle of Kara’s cape.

              Once they were high enough Kara flew them through the city, their bodies pitched forward, parallel to the streets so far below them. The only safety net were the arms around her and the woman effortlessly carrying her, and there was not one moment that Lena felt she was in danger of falling. The L-Corp tower had loomed in the distance and now it seemed to rush towards them almost too fast, the end of their flight coming too soon. The large windows that lined Lena’s office grew larger, yet the promise of the familiar warmth of her office seemed somehow diminished when compared to how she felt at that very moment.

              Kara halted their forward momentum and their bodies reoriented as she descended upon the outer terrace of Lena’s office. Her red boots touched down just a moment before Lena’s, returning the other woman’s body to its own control and gravity as she relaxed her arms. Lena’s hands left Kara’s arm, and Kara finally released her, the separation of their bodies exposed Lena anew to the relentless cold.

              Lena turned around to face Kara and simply saying ‘thank you’ seemed inadequate. Their whole flight had been in silence and still, somehow, it felt like they had said something to each other in a language that was theirs alone. She had never had a problem with being bold before, and she tried that now.

              “I don’t know if there is a Kryptonian equivalent, but there is a persistent myth on Earth that it’s bad luck to not kiss under the mistletoe.” Lena tried to put a tease into her words, to give Kara an out, an easy escape. She didn’t need to.

              Kara stepped forward, brought her hands up to frame Lena’s face, to draw her in, and finally allowed herself a chance to know what it felt like to kiss those perfect lips. She didn’t feel Lena’s hands touch her arms, didn’t perceive the exact moment that Lena stepped into her, she only felt the connection between them in each part of their bodies that touched, and in less tangible ways as well. So many forces had seemed to conspire against them to prevent this, and now, now that it finally happened, the energy that traveled between them made it clear that it had been inevitable. Time, the cold, the snow, and the world, it all seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them left.

              It had started as a kiss, but that word described a physical action; to say that was all that happened between them would be a fallacy. The kiss was, if anything, a beginning. When their lips finally separated their bodies didn’t, each held onto the other as if afraid that letting go would end it. Even the fog of their short, fast breaths seemed to join just as they had. The whole day they had spent together their words didn’t seem to work well enough, but even that didn’t matter now. Now, as they held each other, looked at each other, and faced the fear and excitement of possibility, Lena remembered to say what she had wanted to all day.

              “Merry Christmas, Kara.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to the community of artists and fans who have been brought together to create and share in the universe of this show. I was inspired to write this by the creativity of others, and to contribute something that I hope others will enjoy.


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